Unit Details

3rd Air Rescue Squadron

USAF Organizations in Korea 1950-1953 Judy G. Endicott

http://www.afhra.af.mil/index.asp

The function of air rescue, like that of air evacuation, was not
new in the Korean war, but its performance was aided by new
plane types and efficient management. The 2d and 3d Air
Rescue Squadrons had been assigned to FEAF during World
War II, but on 1 May 1949 they had been transferred to the
world-wide Air Rescue Service, a subordinate to MATS.

During the Korean conflict the 2d Squadron's flights remained
at Clark, Kadena, and Anderson, but the 3d Squadron,
participated more directly in the war. The latter was initially
divided into four flights - based at Johnson, Yokota, Misawa,
and Ashiya - to which another was added when part of the 5th
Air Rescue Squadron, at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado,
was dispatched to the Far East on 7 July. A sixth flight, called Detachment "F,"
was organized with H-5
helicopters during August. In Korea, this detachment provided normal air rescue
service and also
transported badly wounded ground troops from the front lines to base hospitals at
Pusan.

Assignment of
additional personnel almost doubled the size of the 3d Squadron between July and
November 1950. In its
work the 3d Squadron employed SB-17, SB-29, SA-16, C-47, H-5, and L-5 type aircraft.
So many
different types caused maintenance difficulties, and the newly arrived SA-16's (the
first four reached
Misawa on 28 July) suffered from supply problems as well. At one time all four of
the amphibians were
grounded for want of parts, but improved supplies lowered the SA-16 AOCP rate from
60 percent in
September to 25 percent during October.

June 25, 1950

Headquarters received notification of the Korean
incident and alerted all flights. Instructions were issued to arm each
SB-17with
one hundred (100) rounds of 50 caliber ammunition. All flights were immediately
placed on a seven (7) day week, twenty-four (24) hour day.

The 3d Air Rescue Squadron was based at Johnson Air Force
Base, Japan. It conducted air rescue operations from Japan and deployed
lettered detachments to Korea. It was augmented by 2d Air Rescue Squadron
(later Group) personnel from the Philippines. In November 1952, the squadron
was redesignated the 3d Air Rescue Group and the existing detachments became
squadrons. The group headquarters remained at Johnson, but its squadrons
operated in Korea for the duration.

The 3rd Rescue (later, Air Rescue) Squadron,
following the North Korean invasion, deployed detachments to Korea to perform
search and rescue. Initially the squadron's primary mission involved
intercepting and escorting distressed aircraft over the land areas of Japan and
its adjacent seas. Combat operations and a changing tactical situation expanded
the mission to include the rescue of stranded personnel behind enemy lines and
aeromedical helicopter evacuation. The 3rd ARS was regularly augmented with
personnel from the 2nd ARS (later redesignated 2nd Air Rescue Group) based in
the Philippines.

July 22: The US Navy aircraft carrier
USS Boxer (CV-21) arrived
in Japan with 145 USAF F-51s aboard. The
3rd ARS deployed the first H-5
helicopter in Korea to Taegu.

The aircraft available at the start of the Korean War forced
the 3rd ARS to confine air rescue flights to short range rescue. These included
the

L-5, a highly maneuverable liaison aircraft used in helicopter escort,
supply drops, and medical evacuation from small airfields;

the
obsolescent SB-17, a search and rescue version of the Flying Fortress bomber;

and the SC-47 transport, which aided in searches and hauled critically needed
supplies to outlying units.

The squadron soon added, while phasing out the
SB-17,

the SB-29 and

the amphibious SA-16.

During the UN assault on Pyongyang in
October 1950, it evacuated forty-seven injured paratroopers from drop zones at Sunchon and Sukchon. In March 1951, the squadron tested the new model H-19
helicopter, which proved invaluable in multiple evacuations and greatly extended
the operational range for rotary-wing rescues. A significant innovation in the
use of the helicopter was medical evacuation. For critically wounded soldiers at
front-line aid stations, helicopter medical evacuations reduced a possibly fatal
ten-to-fourteen-hour road trip to a one-hour flight to a rear

Mobile Army
Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit.

In December 1951, H-5s participated in a highly
successful experiment by flying wounded soldiers directly from front-line aid
stations to a hospital ship off the Korean coast. In November 1952, the 3rd
elevated to group level, and squadrons replaced the detachments. From June 1950
to the end of hostilities in July 1953, it rescued almost 10,000 UN
personnel, almost 1,000 from behind enemy lines, and over 200 from the water.
For numerous commendable and heroic rescues, the 3rd ARS/ARG earned three
Distinguished Unit Citations.

Nevertheless, the
3d Squadron was most successful, as the following performance record, covering
25 June through 30 November 1950, indicates:

Operation Total

Helicopter evacuation from front lines 585

Helicopter evacuation from behind front lines 9

SA-16 rescues 10

Rescues by all types of aircraft 674

Sorties by all ARS aircraft 2,498

Number of hours flown 6,339

A few examples, however, will serve better than statistics
to illustrate the success of the 3d Squadron.

Seven days after arriving in Japan, an SA-16 on orbit picked
up a Navy pilot who had been in the water off Korea less than two hours.

On 15 August an SA-16 picked up an
F-51 pilot only 5 minutes after he had parachuted into the water.

A helicopter
picked up another F-51 pilot behind North Korean lines on
5 September, and on
11 October another H-5 crew made a 125-mile
round trip to snatch up a severely wounded British carrier pilot from under hostile
fire and return him to Kimp'o.

36th Air Rescue Squadron:
November 14, 1952-.37th Air Rescue Squadron: November 14, 1952-.38th Air
Rescue Squadron: November 14, 1952-.39th Air Rescue Squadron: November 14,
1952-.2157th Air Rescue Squadron: March 1, 1953-.

Two Republic of
Korea Presidential Unit Citations for the periods June 25, 1950-June 30, 1951
and July1, 1951-March 31, 1953.

3 SQ

SSG

ROBERT

WINSLOW

B 29

MIG 15

12-04-51

1

SGT

LYLE

PATTERSON

B 29

MIG 15

12-04-51

1

SGT

ROYAL

VEATCH

B 29

MIG 15

12-04-51

1

SGT

GUS

OPFER

B 29

MIG 15

09-07-51

2

CPL

LEONARD

EVERSOLE

B 29

MIG 15

27-10-51

1

Unit Total: 6

On Mon, 6 Jan 1997
JBurousas@aol.com wrote:
The Third Air Rescue Squadron covered the Korean War including all of
Japan and surrounding waters. I was there from the start, 1950, to June
1952.
During this period of time we rescued over 5000 persons, monstly air
crewman. We used SA-16 amphibious aircraft capable of operating in the
sea or on land.
We also had a flight of helicopters which evacuated patients and also
rescued personnel. The squadron was part of MATS and the forward
element was under the control of the 5th AF.
On one notable mission an SA-16 landed in the river near the capitol of
North Korea, at night, and rescued an F-51 pilot. I was not abord the
aircraft that landed in the river but was in the backup aircraft
waiting to land if the first one failed. On another mission we
attempted to pick up an F-51 pilot at an abandoned air strip in North
Korea and crashed on the runway. I sent an SOS and was rescued the
next morning by on of our C-47's.

Opie Blanchard

On Thu, 22 May 97
Meribel Blanchard meribelb@imsweb.net wrote:
----excerpted....
His full name was Lloyd Courtney Blanchard (nicknamed "Opie") During
the Korean War he was at Kadena AFB, Okinawa in the 3rd Air Rescue
Squadron.
He served a TDY in Korea. I heard him often say that he was the 5th
helicopter pilot to fly in Korea. Very early in that war. He did fly
in to MASH units, and years later, met a doctor he had met there.
Thanks for providing the opportunity to contact our old friends.
Any vets stationed on Okinawa remember the O-Club called "the fights?"
The mascot of the jump squad, a dog called "Ripcord?" And a chopper
pilot named "Opie" Blanchard? He also flew C-47s and seaplanes. The
jump tower for practice landing falls? Recall the C.O.'s wife who
insisted all those painted ladies on the sides of planes be garbed?
As a dependent, when I drove to pick up "Opie" at the Rescue shack,
often had to dodge into the hardstands to get off the taxiways, if a
bomber was on the same road. When they were planning to park in the
same hardstand, things got scary.
We survived beetles in the flour, eggs so old they were flavored and
movies on benches under the stars.
Would like to hear from anyone on Okinawa 50-52, especially the Air
Rescue gang. A couple of us still relay news via Christmas cards.
Sincerely,
Meribel Blanchard

Air Rescue Website

On Tue, 25 Aug 1998
"Anthony C. Santore" Email addresst wrote:
I have put up a website which tells the story of the Air Rescue
Service in Korea and Japan from 1950 to 1957. Although it is not
complete, it contains a lot of information about a number of
organizations, including the 3rd Air Rescue Group, and the following
Air Rescue Squadrons: 1st Det, 3rd ARS; 2157th, 33rd, 36th, 37th,
38th, 39th, and 60th, as well as the 121st Evac Hospital. I have
virtually nothing about the 121st and am still looking.
I have recently found and ordered about 6 microfilms about the Air
Rescue Service. Given the slowness of government document-providers,
I don't know when I'll have them.
Air Rescue Website

HQ

On Tue, 18 Nov 1997
Donald Linker wrote:
29 Country Lane
Wright City, MO 63390
Telephone: (314)456-2656
Comments:
I was stationed at Johnson Air Force Base in Japan in headquarters
third air rescue group from 1951-1953.

Fred S. Kirby

On Sun, 3 May 1998
Kris & Rob Kirby Email address wrote:
At one point you said you had a contact in the 3rd Air Sea Rescue. On
12 Apr 51, my uncle, Fred S. Kirby, went down in a B-29 at 38:45 N
124:50 E (or 124:32 E). My Uncle was in 93rd Squadron of 19th Bomb Group
3rd Air Sea Rescue reported 2 large rafts, 1 small raft, and debris but
no survivors in rafts. I was hoping you could put me in touch with
someone connected to 3rd ASR.
Have been in contact with the Air Force Personnel Center. No news, and
doubt if there ever will be. Was hoping that would be able to give DNA
sample, but they seem to only want brothers/sisters/sister's children.
Take care,
Rob
See also: 93rd Bomb Squadron

3RD AIR RES SQ (DET 1)

Updated: 3/08/99 by editor
MIA 3RD AIR RES SQ (DET 1) 6/25/52 H-5
On Mon, 6 Jul 1998
Jim/Judy Email address wrote:
Dear Sir:
My cousen LESLIE WAYNE LEAR was reported M.I.A on 6-25-52. I was
2 years old and as I grew up I saw the pain that his mother, Aunt Pearl
suffered at each family diner or picnic I always wondered why she was so
sad. Her sister, my grandmother, always told us not to ask. I remember
that one memorial day my Grandmother sewed a gold star pillow cover for
her.
Please let our family know if there is any info about Les. Maybe his mom
can rest in peace.
Update: 11/04/98, Thanks to your POW/MIA we have not only found the
fact's around Leslies death, but we have also been put in contact with
Aunt Pearl's Great Grand Daughter, and his sister! Thank You so much.
For your records Leslie Wayne Lear was piloting a helicopter air
lifting a wounded serviceman when his copter crashed in the D M Z or
near it, we had the year of death wrong it was 1954. The patient & the
corpman survived the crash. Again God Bless You & the work your doing.
Thanks Jim Hollenbeck jijuholl@cyberhighway.net

26 June 1950

The
Fifth Air Force training Field Order testing the aerial defenses of Okinawa
was still in progress with a
Flight "D",
SB-17 accomplishing a reconnaissance
to Okinawa and return.

It is apparent, at this time, that Flight "D"
will need assistance in all categories of materials and personnel. At the present
time all emphasis is being placed on evacuation of American Nationals, utilizing
Kimp'o Airfield at Sŏul and
Suwŏn Air Field (37° 15' N 127° 00' E).

One (1) of our C-47's has been pressed into duty for that
purpose. SB-17s are orbiting round the clock to provide rescue coverage for evacuation
ships and fighter aircraft that are furnishing top cover. These SB-17s are orbiting
at
Cheju-Do (33° 28' N 126° 30' E).